The present invention relates to a device for accessing an information database, and, more particularly, to a device and system that uses an information database to access information about a landmark that is located at a geographic position where the device is located.
People often desire to obtain information about a particular location at which they are located, whether it be a famous or historic landmark, an office building, a business location, a piece of real estate, an airport, a hotel, shopping mall, a sports arena, a tropical rain forest, a redwood forest, a mountain range, a river, a single island or a string of islands, a war zone, or a hostage area. The traditional methods of obtaining such information include using printed materials such as guide books, maps, etc., communicating with people knowledgeable about the particular location, and researching the particular location either before or after being physically present at the location.
Such methods of obtaining information may significantly detract from the person's ability to appreciate or experience the location at which they are present. Put more simply, the person may not be able to gather or access enough information about the location because it is not readily available. Additionally, the person may not be able to access information about the location that is based on time. For example, if a person is visiting a famous landmark at a time when there are no tour guides available and the local gift shop is closed, the person may not be able to obtain valuable information about the landmark. While tour guides typically are associated with famous landmarks, landmarks as used in this context may be a famous or non-famous landmark, including, but not limited to the following types of landmarks: a historic area, an amusement park, a house, a restaurant, a store, etc. Although the person may be able to get location-centric information later, that isn't always a suitable alternative. Even in the event where a person is able to obtain printed materials, they are often cumbersome to carry around and read through while traveling from place to place. Moreover, as a person visits numerous locations, they tend to accumulate vast amounts of printed materials.
Another example in which location-specific, or time sensitive information is not readily obtained is during a real estate search. The traditional method of buying real estate requires the prospective purchaser to transact through a real estate broker for virtually every aspect of the transaction, from finding a desired property to completing the sale. Often the most difficult part of the process, from the buyer's perspective, is locating a desired piece of real estate. There are generally two methods employed to locate a desired piece of property.
The first method relies solely on the real estate broker to use his or her contacts, including listing services, to locate property that meets the buyer's specifications. The second is more random, in that if a buyer happens to pass a piece of property that is displaying a “for sale” sign, the buyer can write down the phone number shown on the sign to later inquire about the property, which then places the transaction totally within the broker's hands, as the broker controls all the information relating to the property (e.g., size and cost).
People are also often interested in gaining information about what a particular business has to offer. For example, when a person is located near a particular business they may want to know more information about the business. For example, a person may want to know such things as, what types of items a store offers, what specials or sales are occurring at a store, what type of food or menu items a restaurant offers, just to name a few. In addition, after visiting a particular business or landmark a person may want to share information about their experience. For example, a person may want to provide a review of a restaurant or store so that others can be better informed when they visit that business.
There are systems that relate to an address retrieval system based on the position of a cellular telephone. A cell phone user can request information relating to businesses that are located in the proximity of the user, based upon the geographic position of the user as determined by pinpointing the location of the cell phone. Once the location of the user is determined, a database that is keyed on geographic location is searched, looking for businesses of the type requested by the user (e.g., restaurants, gas stations, hotels, etc.) that are located in the area around the user. The system disclosed in the '699 patent may inform a user about a location of a restaurant (or other service location), but does not give the user real-time information pertaining to table availability, hours of operation, current specials.
Other systems include a mobile computer system having a built-in global positioning system (GPS) locator and an associated database that displays relevant information to the user based upon the user's current location. The database is accessed in real time as the user's position changes and is primarily focused on task-based information. For example, if a stored task is to buy milk, as the user approaches the grocery store, he or she is reminded to buy milk.
Thus, a need exists for a system and method of obtaining information about a landmark located near a user's current location, and for receiving information about the landmark from a user while the user is located near the landmark.